UConn sports

By Neill Ostrout

STAFF WRITER

HARTFORD _ Once thought to be dead and buried, the UConn men are alive and kicking in their hunt for an NCAA Tournament bid.

UConn knocked off No. 8 West Virginia 73-62 Monday night at the XL Center, giving its postseason hopes a major boost.

Kemba Walker scored 21 points to lead the Huskies (17-11, 7-8). Jerome Dyson added 17 points, while Stanley Robinson had 15 points and 13 rebounds.

Devin Ebanks led the Mountaineers (21-6, 10-5) with 17 points. West Virginia star Da’Sean Butler tied his season low with just nine points, mostly due to Dyson’s defense.

It was only a four-point game with just over a minute to play when UConn came up with two big plays. Robinson dunked home a miss by Dyson with 1:03 to play that made it 68-62. On the ensuing West Virginia possession Walker picked off a pass by Ebanks and dunked the ball at the other end to give the Huskies an eight-point cushion.

In a game that saw an abundance of fouls called on both teams, UConn big men Gavin Edwards and Ater Majok both fouled out with more than four minutes to play.

West Virginia coach Bob Huggins had two technical fouls called on him during a timeout following Walker’s dunk and was ejected by official Mike Stuart.

UConn 37, West Virginia 28 at halftime here in Haht-fud.

Jerome Dyson, Kemba Walker and Gavin Edwards have nine points each.

It was 5-0 West Virginia in a flash.

Then a “T” on UConn coach Jim Calhoun, two missed free throws by Da’Sean Butler and the Huskies score nine straight.

Later the Huskies scored 13 in a row.

It’s far from over but UConn is controlling the boards and forcing (as opposed to its usual committing) turnovers.

- Neill

For the first time in his career, UConn guard Kemba Walker was been named Big East player of the week Monday.

The sophomore from the Bronx led the Huskies to an upset at No. 3 Villanova Feb. 15, scoring a career-high 29 points. He narrowly missed out on his fourth double-double of the season with nine rebounds in the 84-75 victory over the Wildcats. On Saturday, he scored 14 of his 16 points in the second half to lead UConn over Rutgers, 76-58.

The 6-1 guard averaged 22.5 points per game and 6.5 rebounds per game while helping the Huskies to a 2-0 week. He led UConn with a 89.5 percent free-throw shooting percentage and was a combined 6-of-11 from behind the 3-point arc.

Currently, Walker is 21st nationally, averaging 5.65 assists per game. He leads the team in that category and is second in the leage. Walker is third on the team with a 14.1 point per game average.

The Huskies (16-11, 6-8) host West Virginia at the XL Center tonight.

Tickets are still available for tonight’s game as well as the regular season home finale against Louisville on Sunday at Gampel Pavilion.

- Neill

It’s just two in a row for the Huskies, but Saturday’s 76-58 win over Rutgers has them feeling pretty good.

It’s a rare blowout (they enjoyed their first 20-point lead since the Iona game) and it’s also another win on the road.

It’s also nine straight and 17 of the last 18 over Rutgers.

Here are a few other notes:

– The Huskies are getting closer to the bubble (maybe they’re on it) for the NCAA Tournament but coach Jim Calhoun is trying to take things slow.

“It doesn’t mean we’re going any place except the XL Center on Monday against West Virginia,” Calhoun said, cautioning those who would read too much into the victory. “But it means, very simply, that everything in this league is wide open.”

– UConn G Kemba Walker sprained his ankle while charging into Rutgers C Hamady Ndiaye in the first half.

He was late getting to the bench to start the second half but still played 19 minutes in the second half and scored 14 of his 16 points.

“I’m good,” Walker said after the game.

– G Jamal Coombs-McDaniel’s ankle didn’t seem to bad. He played 13 minutes and scored four points.

“He was up in the pool and doing all kinds of things to get himself going,” Calhoun said.

Jamaal Trice? Another DNP-CD.

– Good effort from G Donnell Beverly off the bench: 8 points and 6 rebounds.

“The ball was bouncing my early,” said Beverly, whose first two baskets came via offensive rebounds. “I was happy I was in the right place at the right time.”

As for Beverly’s banked 3-pointer in the first half?

“I told him he had to call that,” Jerome Dyson said with a laugh.

– Calhoun was asked about Walker’s suddenly hot shooting.

“You mean Steve Alford?” Calhoun responded.

Now, what are the odds Walker knew who Steve Alford is before the coach told him?

Anyway, Calhoun says Walker is just working very hard on his jump shot.

“Guys get into rhythm and there’s nobody on our team who works as hard as he does,” Calhoun said.

“Is he going to be a great 3-point shooter? He could be,” Calhoun said. “Only because he’s willing to pay the price of working.”

– F Stanley Robinson’s streak of at least 10 points in 32 straight games nearly ended. He hit a pair of free throws with 38 seconds left to get to 11.

“I’m trying to keep that alive but at the same time I’m trying to get wins,” Robinson said.

– Calhoun said one of the major keys to the game was knowing what many 4-year-olds are taught: sharing is caring.

“We shared the basketball,” Calhoun said. “I know it’s a funny old adage but quite frankly, this particular group gets into the mindset that they can beat Rutgers or they can beat whoever we’re playing, by themselves.

“Over the past couple games the most noticeable thing to me is with a two-point lead, a two-point deficit or a 16-point lead, we’re sharing the basketball,” Calhoun continued. “We’re getting the thing moving, making you play a little bit of defense.”

– Rutgers G Mike Rosario didn’t start because he was late to the team’s shootaround. He still scored a team-high 14 points in 31 minutes of action.

- Neill

By Neill Ostrout

STAFF WRITER

PISCATAWAY, N.J. _ Even in a down year the UConn basketball can usually count on one thing: beating Rutgers.

The Huskies pulled away from Rutgers for a 76-58 win Saturday afternoon before a sellout crowd of 8,085 at the RAC, their 17th win in the series’ last 18 games.

Jerome Dyson led four Huskies ins double figures with 20 points. Kemba Walker had 16, while Stanley Robinson and Gavin Edwards added 11 each.

Rutgers (14-13, 4-10), which had won five of its last six games, was led by Mike Rosario’s 14 points.

With its win UConn (16-11, 6-8) moved into four-way tie for 9th place in the Big East standings.

Because of its latest victory, UConn’s once faint hopes of making the NCAA Tournament are improving slowly. A win over West Virginia Monday night certainly could put the Huskies on the brink.

It’s UConn 31, Rutgers 28 halfway through the festivities here in Piscataway, N.J.

Both teams were a little slow out of the gate. But UConn got in gear first and was up eight late in the first half.

Donnell Beverly has contributed more than most expected (some because of foul trouble). He’s got eight points and five rebounds already.

Dane Miller has 10 points for Rutgers and leads all scorers.

– A little mix-up with the starting lineup. Alex Oriakhi was introduced and was in the scorer’s computer but Charles Okwandu ran out when Oriakhi’s named was called and eventually began the game on the court.

Also, Rutgers guard Mike Rosario didn’t start for some reason, though he is playing.

- Neill

Greetings from the RAC (Louis A. Brown Athletic Center, technically) as we wait for the Huskies and Scarlet Knights to get going.

It’s a big game for UConn but, then again, aren’t they all?

It looks like guard Jamal Coombs-McDaniel is going to give it a go despite a sprained left ankle. The freshman reserve is in uniform and shooting around with his teammates, though he isn’t doing much cutting or hard running.

Best guess is that he would play sparingly.

We’ll give you an update at halftime.

- Neill

UConn guard Jamal Coombs-McDaniel, coming off one of his best games of the season, sprained his left ankle in practice Wednesday and could miss Saturday’s game against Rutgers.

Coach Jim Calhoun said Coombs-McDaniel, a freshman from Dorchester, Mass., is “doubtful” for the game.

The Huskies are working fellow freshman Jamaal Trice to try and take play some minutes Saturday. Trice hasn’t played at all in Big East play yet, last getting on the court Dec. 27 against Iona.

“He’s a great kid. He’s working his butt off,” Calhoun said.

“He’s not as good a shooter as Coombs has been, but Coombs had struggled,” Calhoun continued. “He went into that game (Villanova) shooting 10 percent in the last 10 games or something from three.”

– If any longtime Husky fans want to old consider this: Trice was born during the Dream Season.

Trice was born Dec. 12, 1989, the same day UConn was losing to Villanova 64-57 at the Hartford Civic Center. Greg Woodard led the Wildcats with 17 while Chris Smith struggled (5-of-16, 0-for-6 from three) to 12 points.

That was one of the last bad games UConn would play that season. The Huskies would win 13 of their next 14 (10 straight after a loss to St. John’s in Alumni Hall) and reach the NCAA Regional Final.

Tate George’s shot, followed by Christian Laettner’s shot, you know the story.

And while we’re mentioning birthdays, how about his one: Coombs-McDaniel was born the day before Trice was, on Dec. 11, 1989.

- Neill